Gay South Korean film director causes stir in Seoul with wedding announcement

Openly gay South Korean film director Kim Jho Gwang-soo announced he will symbolically marry his partner in a ceremony designed to both celebrate their love and make a statement on LGBTQ rights in the conservative country.

“We wanted to convey the message that all sexual minorities should be given rights equally in a beautiful way,” Kim told a news conference in Seoul.

Very few Korean celebrities are openly gay. Actor Hong Seok-cheon was the first to come out in 2000, and found that his work quickly dried up.

Another actor, Kim Ji-hoo, announced he was gay in 2008 on a reality show profiling the lives of LGBTQ Koreans. This led to much public harassment, the cancellation of future TV appearances, and a rejection by his management company. He ultimately hanged himself later that year.